Stoker furnace construction



Aug. 11, 1925.

R. D. FOLTZ STOKER FURNACE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 1924 WWW fit

Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED stares 1,549,106- PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND D. FOLTZ, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO M. H. DETRIOK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STOKER FURNACE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed July 10, 1924. Serial No. 725,143.

To all 'whom it may cmwem:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND D. FoL'rz, a. citizen of the United States, residing at East. Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stoker Furnace Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in furnaces of the type employing adjustable fuel gates or the like, such as for stokers of the chain grate type. In such installations there is a very intimate and important cooperation between the stoker and the furnace arch portion, which is variously known as the ignition arch, coking breast, combustion arch, etc., as proper ignition and combustion of the fuel is dependent upon the conjoint functioning of those parts. Among other essential considerations, it is vital to proper operation of the furnace, that proper controlbe maintained of the quantity of fuel fed, and the arch be maintained in proper condition to secure quick ignition, adequate coking, and thorough combustion of the fuel. The conditions under which such installations are operated are very trying, due to the extremely high temperatures to whichthey are subjected, the prolonged periods through which they are in continuous operation, and the almost universal demand for operation at very high capacities.

The general purpose of the present invention is the provision of certain improvements in the construction of such installations which will contribute to the durability of the feed and ignition controlling portions of the installation, and facilitate repair and replacements when such become necessary.

Another purpose is the provision of im provcments in the structure which are cal culated to contribute to accuracy in the control of the fuel feed.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention, as well as a more specific understanding of those above specified, will be indicated hereinafter, or ascertainable from the appended claims and the drawing forming a part of this specification. For the purpose of this application I have shown one fashion in which the invention may be cmbodied,'but it is to be understood that the same is here presented for the purpose of illustration only, and hence is not to be accorded any efi'ect calculated to limit the invention which I purport to secure by Letters Patent, short of its true and most comprehensive scope in the art.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partly diagrammatical illustration in the nature of a part sectional elevation throu h the front portion of an installation w ich includes a chain grate stoker, and i Fig. 2 is a detail in the nature of a front sectional elevation taken on substantially the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1.

Referring immediately to the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing, let it be understood that the reference character 10 designates a side wall of the furnace chamber into which fuel is supplied by a chain grate stoker, the movable grate portion of which is illustrated at 11. Over the fuel inlet is arranged an ignition arch. This is carried on a beam 12 which is supported at the sides of the furnace, and includes a number of suspension frames lt'which are hung from said beam in collateral relationship across the furnace. The frames have tile retainin members 15 in the form of flanges, whic support refractories in pro er association toform a continuous heat-res1sting arch portion'depending above and adjacent the fuel inlet and overhanging that portion of the grate. These refractories, as in the case of those designated 16, may be supported by direct engagement with thetile-retaining members 15, or through the instrumentality of supplemental hangers 17, as in the case of the refractories 18. These supplemental hangers are in the nature of hooks demountably supported on the members 15 and slidable therealong and afiording the laterally projecting parts 17 which enga e in recesses of the refractories 18. In this fashion the respective refractories are individually suspended so that each hasa certain freedom of movement relative to the others, and is thus capable of accommodating itself to expansion and contraction incident to the heating and cooling of the chain rate 11 as the latter is transmitted inward y in the fashion well known in the art. The thickness of the fuel bed, or the amount of fuel thus fed into the furnace, is thus controlled by the speed of the grate and by the size of the feed opening as determined by the position of the fuel gate. The fuel gate is formed of a metallic frame member 24 extending across the stoker and supporting a facing of refractories 24* on the side toward the furnace chamber. It is suspended and guided for vertical sliding movement in such relationship as to control the height of the fuel inlet. Its operation and adjustment in that respect are controlled by suitable mechanism, here diagrammatically illustrated by the hand wheel 25 which drives beveled pinions 26 to rotate gear 27 which transmits rack 28 attached tothe gate. Due to the necessary association of both the gate and the lower refractories of the ignition arch with the fuel inlet, the gate must operate in close proximity to the arch refractories.

It frequently occurs, when the gate remains for a considerable time at a certain adjustment, that it becomes cemented to the adjacent arch refractories by the slag which forms on the exposed surfaces in the combustion chamber. This not onl interferes with subsequent adjustment of t e gate, but frequently results in the breakin of either the gate or the arch refractories incident to such adjustment. Sometimes also, the arch becomes warped from the heat, so that upon adjustment of it, injury may result to its refractory facing or the adjacent arch refractories. In order to avoid such contingencies, and also to facilitate the repair or replacement of refractories in the gate and the arch I equip the frames 14 with demountable bearing members 29. Each of these castings is in the form of a plate of a width approximating that of the arch refractories onthe frame, and of such height that it will extend well down in front of the refractories when the bearing member is attached to the frame as intended. This bearing member at its top and extending at right angles to the plate portion and sha ed to fit against the web of the frame mem er 14 and in abutment with the flange 21. Here it is secured by means of a bolt 30, its rearward surface abutting the forward margin of the web of the frame 14;. In th s disposal the bearing members form an intervening retainingguide between and cooperating with the gate and the lowermost arch refractories. They hold the arch refractories in place against gravity, the abutment of the bracket 29 against the flange 21 preventing their forward rotation on their connecting bolts, and thus they relieve the gate of pressure from the arch. They also'Support the inward pressure of thegate, which may result in part from the wei ht of coal in the hopper 20, such inward t rust from the gate being transmitted by the members 29 directly to the frames 14, by virtue of their abutment. This relieves the arch refractories of any pressure from the to. Furthermore, these bearing members cap the ,gate refractories spaced away from the arch refractories so that there is not the opportunity for them to slag together. -Adplacement is required, and remove the bearmg members outwardly.- This permits removal and replacement of the refractories from the lower portion of the selected frames, without disturbance of an of the other refractories. It may be desirable to aperture the plate portions, as illustrated, to permit a certain amount of ventilation of the tileslots as a precaution against overheating of the tile retaining members or supplementary hangers.

From the foregoing it will be observed that this improvement contributes materially to accuracy, effectiveness and convenience in the supply and ignition of the fuel.

What I claim is:

1. In a furnace installation including the adjustable stoker gate and adjacent ignition arch, a frame supporting arch refractories and a bearing member demountabl secured to the frame for engagement wit refractories on one side and the gate on the other side.

2. In a furnace installation including the adjustable stoker gate and adjacent ignition arch, a frame supporting arch refractories and a bearing member demountabl securedto the frame for engagement with refractories on one side and the gate on the other side, said bearing member having engagement with the frame to tation in either direction.

3. In a furnace installation including" the adjustable stoker gate, a frame supported adjacent the gate, refractories having slidprevent its roable mounting on the frame and'a bearing member demountably secured to the'frame' and de ending therefrom .between the refractories and the te.

4. In a furnace lnstallation, the combination of a frame, refractories slidably supported thereon, and a bearing member demountably secured to the lower portion of the frame for engagement with refractories weenie to prevent their sliding ofi the frame, said bearing member having abutment with the frame preventing its rotation thereon by the refractories,

position to prevent displacmeent of the refractories thereon toward the gate or movement of the gate into contact with such refractories said bearing members accommodating reiative movement of the frames.

6. In a -hirnace installation, the combination of the depending arch frame, refractories slidably supported thereon, a bearing member demountably secured to the lower portion of the frame for engagement with refraetories thereon to prevent their sliding 0d, said bearing member being provided with an aperture permitting access of air therethrough to the frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

RAYMOND D. FUL'lZ. 

